Colonial-era texts popularised a story of two peoples—“long-eared” hanau eepe overlords and “short-eared” hanau momoko labourers—culminating in rebellion and massacre. The tale travelled through adventure books and pseudo-history; archaeologists and documentary historians now treat it as a fragile synthesis of oral fragments, missionary paraphrase, and imaginative retelling rather than as established demographic fact.
Hanau epe and Hanau momoko (Wikipedia “Story” + Englert gloss)
Paragraphs 1–2 below quote the English Wikipedia article “Hanau epe”, section “Story”, as published in April 2026 (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0). That article summarizes widely printed variants; it is not a verbatim transcript of Father Sebastián Englert’s bilingual Leyendas de Isla de Pascua (University of Chile, 1980). For Englert’s own chapter “Los Hanau Eepe, su inmigración y exterminación”, consult the printed Leyendas or Koha U Motu’s legend index. Paragraph 3 reproduces Wikipedia’s paraphrase of Englert’s dictionary gloss; paragraph 4 quotes the article’s lead on historical uncertainty.
There are two legends about how the Hanau epe reached Easter Island. The first is that they arrived some time after the local Polynesians and tried to enslave them. However, some earlier accounts place the Hanau epe as the original inhabitants, and the Polynesians as later immigrants from Rapa Iti. Alternatively, the "epe" and "momoko" may simply have been two groups or factions within the Polynesian population. One version states that both groups originated from the original crews of the Polynesian leader Hotu Matua, who founded the settlement on Easter Island.
The story states that the two groups lived in harmony until a conflict arose. The source of the conflict varies in different tellings or retellings of the legend. The Hanau epe were soon overwhelmed by the Hanau momoko, and were forced to retreat, taking refuge in a corner of the island near Poike, protected by a long ditch, which they turned into a firewall. They intended to kill the Hanau momoko by burning them in the fire-ditch. The Hanau momoko found a way round the ditch, attacking the Hanau epe from behind, and pushing them into their own inferno. All but two of the Hanau epe were killed and were buried in the ditch. The two escaped to a cave, at which one was found and killed, leaving only one survivor. The ditch was thereafter known as Ko Te Umu O Te Hanau Eepe (the Hanau Eepes' Oven).
Sebastian Englert states that "Long-Ear" is a misinterpretation of Hanau ‘E‘epe, meaning "stout race". His dictionary entry for hanau includes "race, ethnic group. Hanau eepe, the thick-set race; hanau momoko, the slender race (these terms were mistranslated as "long-ears" and "short-ears")."
The historical facts, if any, behind this story are disputed. Since the victorious "Hanau momoko" are usually assumed to be the surviving Polynesian population, there has been much speculation about the identity of the vanished Hanau epe.
Open Wikipedia: Hanau epe (Story section; references include Englert 1993)
Where the labels come from
Métraux’s ethnology catalogued multiple Rapa Nui terms for kin and status groups, cautioning readers that “long ear” glosses map awkwardly onto Polynesian social categories recorded elsewhere.1
Fischer’s documentary history traces how foreign writers amplified conflict tropes while missionary registers sometimes flattened nuance when translating testimony.2
Archaeological and genetic caution
Routledge’s expedition narratives preserve early informant lists but also reflect Edwardian racial assumptions; they are primary sources for what was said in 1914–15, not for prehistoric biology.3
Modern summaries on open encyclopaedias collate published variants; they are useful finding aids but should be checked against Métraux, Fischer, and newer peer-reviewed studies before drawing population conclusions.
Why the story still matters ethically
Englert’s respectful transcription practice remains a model: record what elders wish to share, contextualise variants, and refuse sensational massacre myths when communities reject them.4
Visitors should discuss hanau eepe / momoko only with care—many families prefer to steer conversation toward living language revitalisation and contemporary arts rather than Victorian-era racial scripts.5
Sources
- Métraux, A. (1940). Ethnology of Easter Island. Detailed discussion of social categories and narrative genres. Open link
- Fischer, S. R. (2005). Island at the end of the world. Missionary-era documentation and historiographic critique. Open link
- Routledge, K. (1919). The mystery of Easter Island. Early lists and expedition framing (read critically). Open link
- Wikipedia contributors (ongoing). Hanau epe — article includes “Story” section summarising published variants (crowd-sourced). Open link
- Englert, S. (1970). Island at the center of the world (Mulloy trans.). Primary traditions recorded with long-term residence context. Open link